Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to reservoir water conservation. More specifically, the present invention relates to floatation-based reservoir water shading apparatus to prevent, evaporation and microbial contamination.
State of the Prior Art
Reservoirs of various sizes are used by public and private entities for water storage and providing potable water to end users. Although most modern designs involve enclosed or covered structures to prevent water contamination and evaporation, these systems are expensive to construct and maintain, and therefore beyond the reach of entities unable to pay for them. Consequently the majority of reservoirs still in use globally are traditional, uncovered structures mimicking a lake or similar body of water, and consequently subject to environmental influences.
Since reservoir water remains relatively still it serves as a suitable environment for algae and microbial growth. Exposure to sunlight, particularly in a warm climate, leads to excessive microbial growth, making remediation and treatment difficult and expensive. Prolonged exposure to sight also leads to disfavored chemical reactions, such as the generation of bromated carcinogens. It also causes evaporative loss. Evaporative loss reduces the quantity of water available to end users, and concentrates harmful chemicals and microbes in the remaining water. Globally, more water evaporates from reservoirs than is consumed by humans, Covering open-air reservoirs is thus an effective way of mitigating microbial and chemical contamination, and water loss from sunlight exposure.
One method of covering reservoirs involves the use of numerous floating opaque objects, including tarps, cement casings, foam floats, or floating spheres. Spheres are more popular due to their ability to roll on the surface of the water and move around without causing gaps. These spheres, typically in the thousands, are hollow and sealed. Although they form an effective cover for reservoirs, considerable resources are used to manufacture them. Also, spheres currently in the art frequently leak over time which alters their buoyancy and effectiveness.
Consumer beverage containers (CBCs) account for a large portion of landfill mass. Although usually recyclable, these containers are frequently discarded rather than recycled. Approximately fifty million CBCs make their way into landfills each year. There are few resources available for reducing the number of CBCs not recycled.
Thus there is a need for an effective reservoir cover that operates in the same manner as floating spheres, but which avoids the need for independently manufacturing thousands of such spheres. There is also a need for a way of reducing the number of discarded CBCs that make their way into landfills. There is also a need for a floating shade reservoir covering system that avoids the problems of ineffective sealing, leakage and altered buoyancy. These needs are solved by providing a CBC-based floating shade reservoir cover as shown and described.